Wednesday, 7 June 2017

In February 2014 my two young children started pre-school
together and all of a sudden I had no little noses to wipe. For the first time
in three years the theme tune to Peppa Pig wasn’t ringing in my ears and I had
nothing to do (except clean the house - and I wasn’t going anywhere near that).
I sat down to read a book on my kindle, but couldn’t settle. The book wasn’t
good enough to keep me captivated but it did give me a light bulb moment. Up in
the loft with the baby toys and the suitcases was a manuscript I’d written four
years earlier, but after a wave of rejections, and two babies in quick
succession, I’d put the manuscript - along with my dream of being an author -
in the loft.

On that cold day in February I climbed into the loft, dug
out my manuscript and gingerly began to read, then smile, then laugh. Over the
years I’d convinced myself that the novel was dreadful, and it wasn’t. It
needed polishing and editing, but for the first time in a long time I felt my
passion and dream awaken. I decided on that first day that there would be no
more rejections. I took a chance and self-published.

It was a crazy and impulsive chance that really shouldn’t
have worked out. I knew nothing about book marketing, or social media, I knew nothing
about publishing full stop! And let’s just say I learned a lot through some rather
harsh reviews.

By a crazy fluke of good timing and a good book title The Reluctant Celebrity did well enough
to earn me a tiny advance and publication with a small independent publisher.

Looking back, it wasn’t self-publishing that I took a chance
on, it was myself and following a dream I’ve had for as long as I can remember.
That chance started me on a journey I am still on now, and one that I am loving
every moment of.

Thank you so much Laurie for sharing your big chance with us.

Giveaway to Win signed copies of The Reluctant Celebrity and How To Throw your Life Away (Open Internationally)

Laurie Ellingham is very kindly giving my followers a chance to win signed copies of The Reluctant Celebrity and How To Throw Your Life Away.

Giveaway open internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 21/06/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner. Good luck everyone.

Laurie lives in a small village on the Suffolk borders, with her husband, two children, and their cockerpoo, Rodney. When she is not disappearing into the fictional world of her characters, preferably with a large coffee and a Twix (or two) to hand, she is running through the countryside, burning off the chocolate intake and plotting her next chapter.To find out more visit www.laurie-ellingham.com, or find her on Twitter @LaurieEllingham and Facebook Laurie Ellingham Author